Board considers ten-year road, bridge program
NEW ULM — Brown County commissioners will review and consider a proposed ten-year road and bridge construction program Oct. 17.
A number of projects in the program were reviewed and discussed on a park and road tour this year. Changes have been made based on current construction costs, bond payments, estimated state aid and wheelage tax increases, and continuation of the local option sales tax (LOST).
Major changes from the approved 2017-2021 program include:
• 2018 – move mill and overlay project on part of County Highway 35 in Sleepy Eye to 2019; move cold in-place recycle (CIR) and overlay projects on County Highway 11 and 20 from 2020 to 2018; add bridge 93502 on County Highway 20.
• 2019 – Move a new Milford Township bridge project on the KC Road to 2020; move County Highway 13 (Center Street in New Ulm) mill and overlay project to 2020; add shoulder widen and regrade project on County Highway 7; add mill and overlay in Leavenworth on County Highway 24; and move mill and overlay on County Highway 34 in Sleepy Eye from 2020 to 2019.
• 2020 – Add surface rehab projects on County Highway 7, 8, 21 and 22; add mill and overlay project on County Highway 26 in New Ulm; and move mill and overlay projects on County Highway 33 and 34 in Sleepy Eye to 2022.
• 2021 – Add County Highway 13 new alignment project and move Bashaw Township bridge L5455 from 2021 to 2023.
Surface rehabilitation and grading projects were added to years 2022-2027. With funding identified, projects on the unscheduled list have been added to the ten-year plan. Grading projects were added in a time frame to allow design to be completed with existing personnel.
Commissioners will also consider:
• Brown County Planning Commission recommendations.
• A Drug Court surveillance contract for a surveillance officer for the Brown Nicollet Watonwan Drug Court. In 2018, Brown and Nicollet County have budgeted $10,000 for the service. District Court also provided funding for fiscal years 2016 and 201 and budgeted $13,800 for fiscal years 2018 and 2019. Watonwan County does not contribute due to low numbers.
The position is critical to drug court success, according to Brown County Probation Director Les Schultz. The surveillance officer tries to see everyone weekly unannounced in Brown and Nicollet Counties. He sometimes does home searches, pat-downs, reviews phone history and attends drug court staffing and court hearings.
The surveillance officer gets to know offenders on a personal level and knows what will motivate, discourage and assist them into being successful citizens. He will also take into custody or work with local officers when arrests need to be made and reports all of his activities to drug court teams.
The board meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the courthouse commissioners room.
Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nujournal.com.
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